Uncertainties
by MsVendetta
Summary: Daniel has many uncertainties. One of them being, 'Is this really worth it? What will his decision be when he is struck between his own common sense on what's wrong and what's right? Or will his affection for his best friend, Alexander, cloud him?
1. I Can't Sleep

Daniel lay down on his bed, pondering and organizing his thoughts within his journal, quill scratching against the parchment hastily,

'' _August 10, 1839,_

_ I can hear them when I sleep. My nightmares...The blood stained on my hands...Is my life really worth saving, despite all the lives I took already? Does the ratio outweigh the bad deeds I have done in order to save my mortality? Are the people I took the lives of really criminals?...I should have never touched that orb in Algeria...This is turning me into a monster. What am I doing? What have I turned into? I can not stop sweating and shaking...__Alexander had his servants bring one of the prisoners, a murderer, he told me. Alexander made all of the arrangements but he said I had to perform the ritual in order to have the right effect. The Shadow could be led astray by the blood of another. Killing the man would provide us precious time. What else could I do? Alexander said it had to be done. He is saving my life, I don't have the luxury of argument.__ ''_

Putting his journal and quill down on his nightstand, he heaved an anxious breath of defeat. He could no longer write anymore, for his brain was exhausted from the long day behind, and most likely the gruesome ones ahead of him.

'_What am I going to do?,'_ Worried thoughts beated like a drum within his cranium. Such a pathetic state of mind he was in...Alexander was trying to save him! Why was he even doubting the good deeds? This was all necessity, and he knew this to the last degree. But still, why? Why did Daniel feel like there was something out of place? Something didn't feel right...

His worrisome thoughts were disrupted by a knock on the door.

''Daniel?,'' a baritone voice eased out from behind the oak door

''Y-...Yes?,'' The young man's British tone jingled from under the sheets and blankets, the image of the young archeologist squeezing a pillow almost made him look like a child, ''You may come in...''

The slender baron quietly entered the room, (which was almost always illuminated by the fire from the fireplace). Walking up to the side of Daniel's bed, long bony fingers elegantly stroked through young, silky brown hair. Tucking it behind Daniel's ear, the baron's smooth voice seemed to purr out, ''Why are you not sleeping..?''

''The nightmares, baron...I'm afraid to sleep. They've gotten worse since we've started the rituals to gather the vitae...,'' The young man whimpered out, gripping his sheets as his hands started to clam up in anxiety.

Sitting on a chair at the archeologist's bedside, the baron continued to brush Daniel's hair away from his face, ''The shadow should not be hostile at this moment...We've gathered enough vitae to ward it off and buy us some time. You simply should not be just having nightmares for no reason.'' But the younger man did not respond to this. He simply did not want to convince to Alexander that he felt wrong conducting those types of torture on people, even if they were criminals...The fact that blood stained his hands more than multiple times made him shudder. Did this not make him equal to or even worse than the criminals he was murdering?

Daniel didn't say anything, but instead fell silent and looked down at his bed sheets

''What ever shall I do with you...,'' Alexander spoke softly, stroking an index finger along the younger male's jaw, then retreating his hand back up to continue playing with the soft brunette hair.

Silence penetrated the air once more, for again, Daniel did not have a remark, and so he instead listening to the comforting sounds of the baron's breathing.

Slow...

Inhale...

_Exhale..._

Inhale..

_Exhale..._

As they sat a few more peaceful moments, the sound of crackling wood from the fireplace was melted within the background. Daniel almost felt like he was going to doze off..

''Alexander...,'' He finally silently spoke up, as if sounding like a mouse trying to not disrupt the church.

''Yes?''

''Please...Can you stay here until I fall asleep..?''

''Of course, Daniel. You are my guest, may I remind you? Please do not be hesitant on asking me anything,'' But despite the baron's tone, it almost seemed as if Alexander was happy at the proposal of staying at the young man's side until he drifted off.

Although, Daniel almost didn't want to fall asleep, in hopes the baron would never leave...


	2. Paint the Man

Daniel panted heavily at the sight of the murderer begging heavily for innocence at his feet. The young man could feel his mind snapping, _breaking, _ever so feverishly. The concrete floor was laminated with rusty blood of previous prisoners, and Alexander continued to recite the ritual, voice raising with haste as Daniel raised his weapon. His breath hitched.

''_Paint the man!''_

Daniel pounded his sledgehammer into the murderer's skull with no remorse.

''_Cut the lines!''_

Over and over again, as the young man mauled the prisoner's face, he could hear the cracking of many bones beneath his weapon, the screaming got louder..louder. Blood splashed on the floor with a sickening, yet satisfying noise.

''_Paint the man!''_

Going for his torso, Daniel ruptured many ribs, loving the delicious crunch they made as they broke, broke, broke..He almost seemed to laugh, that Daniel, clutching the shaft of the sledgehammer until his knuckled turned white.

''_Cut the Lines!''_

He couldn't hear the screams for mercy any longer, but the young man continued on trailing down the prisoner's body with his blood stained weapon, fracturing and dislocating his pelvis, smashing the bones in his legs so they stood out in odd angles, the fibula ripped through the weak muscle and skin. They were obviously of no use anymore, but Daniel continued to smash them as if he were trying to tenderize a Christmas ham.

''Daniel-..._Daniel!_ We're finished. That's enough,'' The baron rest his hand on Daniel's shoulder as the younger man fell to the ground in exhaust and panting heavily, ''We've done enough. He's dead. ''

Although the young man enjoyed his few moments of bliss during the ritual, he soon enough snapped back into reality. ''W-...What have I done?,'' He almost seemed to edge out, ''I-...I'm a monster''

''You are not a monster. We are doing this to collect necessary vitae, Daniel. We're doing this to save your life. I'm doing this for _you,_'' The baron assured the man as he knelled down next to him, ''Do not fret, my friend.''

Looking up at Alexander, Daniel's eyes were full of obnoxious tears, his British accent jingled out almost similar to the way it did the previous night, ''W-...When will this be over? I can't take this anymore...I'm...i can't take anymore lives with my hands, I just can't...'' The image of the innocent archeologist was shattered with the splashed of crimson all along his clothes and face.

''Give it time, Daniel...We'll suffice...We will rid of this evil demon that's following you. I promise you, my good friend...I promise you..,'' The baron seemed to hush out the last sentence, holding the brunette man closely to his chest.

Daniel did not know what to do nor think, other than to hold himself tightly against Alexander's chest. He felt as though it were the only light in this cruel, dead world. The affection he felt for Alexander was a convoluted one. He only had enough mental and physical strength at this moment to be pet and held, as if he were a child who found skeletons in his closet.

Alexander did not let go, but instead held the brunette tighter. Daniel did not object. This was the only warmth he felt in this dead, dark castle...Perhaps it was the only warmth he _wanted_ to feel. The baron was his best friend, his savior, his god... Without him, he would be dead by now. Without him...Daniel wouldn't know what he would do with himself.

Snuggling his face against the baron's chest, a montage of tears flooded down his cheeks. He hiccuped and sobbed as he knotted the cloth of Alexander's crimson coat within his fists, lusting to be held tighter...to be embraced like there was no one else in the world.

He tried to listen to Alexander's smooth breathing behind all his own crying and sobbing, just like he listened the night before...


	3. Roses

(ello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been able to update often. I've been busy playing sims 3, and I've just been getting side tracked. I don't write as often as I should, which is a darn shame, but oh well. )

Walking in the castle alone, his mind swirled with hypothetical thoughts on what he could of done instead of grabbing that orb. Indeed, it was a magnificent relic, possibly able to re-tell history as we know it, but under the current circumstances, he felt that all didn't really matter anymore. His own human nature of wanting to preserve his own mortality was higher than making a breakthrough in current history. But if only he hadn't taken it -

These thoughts were useless, and Daniel knew it. No matter how hard he mentally begged, nothing could get him out of this hellish situation other than killing the sacrifices. Even the relic itself didn't seem anything of this world, for it seemed to be made of alien-like compounds, displaying a unique but outer-worldly sheen. It seemed to be absolutely taunting him, and before he knew it, he was wound up in this terrible predicament. With Alexander.

Alexander...He didn't seem of this world either.

The baron's attitude almost seemed as if he had no emotion during the rituals, or as if he had been doing this his whole life...Killing sacrifices. Alexander seemed a bit alienated, himself. Perhaps it was his old age that made him wise and not prone to emotionally breaking. Maybe he has seen or experienced worse than this?

The idea made Daniel shudder inwardly.

As the young brunette walked the corridors of Brennenburg, his elongated fingers ghostly touched the cobblestone wall as he ventured forward. It was cool to the touch, and although it would have normally been uninviting, he found it comforting. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he felt home here, to an extent, despite all the odd happenings.

Making his way up to the top floor, Daniel found himself loitering in the large rose garden out back. Hoping the baron wouldn't mind, he dipped his head downward and smelled the crimson flower. The scent was subtle, but comforting.

He didn't want to perform the rituals tonight.

But he knew he had to. It was a constant struggle, and the brunette constantly got cold feet before the killings, and especially before rounding up the prisoners. Daniel would beg the baron, at any circumstances, if he could just not watch, not attend, and not even hear of the actions. But it all burned down to the fact that it was Daniel's rightful duty, as the man who was chased by the shadow, to prevent it by doing these horrible deeds.

As his mind seemed to explode with stress, his calloused hands fiddled with the thorns of the rose he previously smelled, that is, until he heard that familiar, resonating voice sooth out from behind him.

''What exactly are you doing?'' The baron snaked both of his arms around Daniel's waste, which caught him off guard.

''….I'm sorry, sir―...i – ...I was just looking around, and your garden caught my eye,'' The brunette's British drawl came out in a clumsy chime.

Turning around in the embrace, Daniel hugged the baron tightly. He was surprised the other man did not mind this. Daniel thought nothing of it, as it was similar to hugging his sister, except Alexander was of course taller.

''That's quite all right, Daniel,'' he could feel the older man's chest rumble as he spoke, ''How about we go inside? The servants have already set up supper. And do not forget our nightly duty, Daniel._ Do not try to worm your way out_.'' Alexander's voice seemed to be stern at the end of his sentence, as if he were a parent. But as the young man looked up,he was relieved to find the baron smiling down at him.

''Yes, I'm quite hungry.''

(Okay, well. Yes, that was short. And yes, that was cheesy. And yes, that wasn't really well written. BUT IT'S OKAY \o/

-Vendetta )


	4. Brazen Bull

_**Hello! As you can see, I'm at least updating a tad faster. The reviews keep me going, and I enjoy the constructive feedback. At this moment, I have a thin plot outline, but I'm just letting this fiction take a toll as if it had a mind of it's own. I hope you enjoy. I'm still trying to tie up loose ends. Rated M for violence, gore, and maybe some sexual content later on.**_

Looking down at the quavering and shuddering chained up animal on the table, Alexander sighed to himself. 'This is always too messy of a job,' he thought.

It was such a foolish mistake he always made, leaving the cross-cut file down in the dungeons.

Alexander reared the side of the blade into the leg of the dog, attempting many times before successfully breaking the skin, as the blade was too dull to properly do it's job. Blood retched out of the wound and spilled onto the hard wood flooring sloppily.

It was such a sick satisfaction to see the animal cry in terror and fear, having smirking a devilish , smug face into the dumb look of it, almost as if it were a deer caught in headlights. Although this ritual was pretty much useless now that he had Daniel fooled into doing the rituals on 'prisoners', Alexander merely did this for his own humor. Oh, and how humorous it was, indeed...

But still, animals were not as fun as more intelligent beings. Even if they fought for life, they did not scream the same. They did not curse you to hell and wish terrible things upon you. Humans did not die as easily as their more friendly, furry counterparts, and they suffered more, had a more strong desire to live. This was a necessity for vitae.

_Sigh._

The baron stopped ripping and tearing the strings of stomach muscle with his mediocre hatchet when the dog started convulsing after bleeding to death. He watched, almost intently, as the wild thing seemed to flop like a fish, muscle spasms not able to control themselves as it floundered in it's own blood.

A terrible, evil smile pulled at the corner of the baron's lips as he imagined Daniel's reaction to this scene. Oh, Daniel...

How that man seemed to make the baron shiver with delight at the thought of him. It had made the rituals that much more interesting, to have the brunette cling to him afterward as if he were a lost puppy, wanting physical attention more than anything in the world. It made Alexander almost feel ashamed for taking advantage of him. _Almost. _

Slowly roaming absentmindedly around the room, he picked up a random picture frame which displayed a pinned butterfly. Turning and examining it without actually paying much attention, the baron's thoughts wandered to Daniel once more. The back of the brunette's neck, how his hair clung to his sweaty face in the midst of an anxiety attack...How he smelled of sorrow and salty sweat, but still managed to smell sweet to some extent. .. And his hair, Oh, _his hair. _

The baron's thoughts digressed as he addressed his attention to the maimed animal which was laying on the table. He figured he would get ready for the sacrifices after he disposed of the beast.

**(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)(linebreak)**

Daniel sat watching with glazed eyes as the loud pathetic bellowing from inside the Brazen bull pierced in his ears. His mouth was formed into a straight line, jaw clenched, and face was solid as if in concentration, but he was far from concentrating. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

The Brazen Bull was one of the tortures he hated the most. Even though he could not see the victim, the distorted cries and yells that sounded similar to an infuriated bull made him shiver. The contraption was complex, made with series of tubes to distort the sound and make it more 'entertaining'.

The fire licked the underbelly of the metalwork viciously, showing no mercy.

The pounding upon iron from the inside and the screaming subsided. Nothing else was to be heard.

As if this was his cue, Daniel turned to face Alexander, his own face contorted with pain, guilt, and anguish. Tears streaked down the young man's charred and dirty face while he threw himself into the baron's arms, sobbing uncontrollably while the fire died from underneath the Bull.

Alexander wrapped his arms around Daniel's frame, feeling his shoulders shake uncontrollably. Making sure the anxiety-ridden man did not see him, Alexander smiled in a sadistic way. Oh, how he had plans for this man in the near future...

But the baron knew he would have to wait until then.


End file.
